Exploring lost violin making practices 1: the neck
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 вер 2018
- Around 2009, research was started on the life, instruments and working methods of the violin maker Benoit Joseph Boussu (1703-1773). As a first step, his previously unknown biography was disclosed in detail, demonstrating that Boussu first practised as a notary in the north of France until 1748, before working as luthier in respectively Liege (1749), Brussels (c1750-c1762) and Amsterdam (c1767-1772). The biographical results were published in the Galpin Society Journal of 2013 and updated in Early Music journal (November 2016). These investigations are part of the PhD project of violin maker/researcher Geerten Verberkmoes, initiator of the Boussu research project.
Next, many surviving original instruments by Boussu were studied, amongst these a violin and a cello in unaltered mid-18th century state from the collection of the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels. The unaltered violin was CT-scanned and analysed in cooperation with dr. Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans (MIM Brussels), prof. dr. Danielle Balériaux (Erasmus hospital) and dr. Berend Stoel. The results of this study were published in the Galpin Society Journal of 2016. In a later stage, the unaltered Boussu cello was CT-scanned in the St. Luc hospital in Brussels under the guidance of professors Danse and Coche and their team.
Based on the CT-scan of the violin, two replicas were built in parallel between spring and fall of 2017 by Verberkmoes, using construction methods most likely employed by Boussu. These practices include an assembling process without the use of an inside mould. The replication process was captured entirely on video and is presented here as a series of videos. After finishing the violins, a cello replica was made in a similar way, during the end of 2017 and early 2018.
In the final stage of the study, the three replicas are played by the newly formed 'Ensemble Boussu' (dr. Ann Cnop, Shiho Ono and Mathilde Wolfs), to perform Brussels court music from the times of Boussu. The musicians perform the trio sonata repertoire using solely bowed stringed instruments, a nowadays abandoned practice, but apparently a more common fashion in the middle of the 18th century. Examples of these performances can also be found on this channel.
The PhD project 'Boussu Inside Out' is supervised by prof. dr. Francis Maes (Gent University), dr. Geert Dhondt (School of Arts Gent) and dr. Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans (Musical Instruments Museum Brussels).
Enjoy watching and listening!
Astounding attention to detail and near perfection, craftmanship at its finest ! I aspire to make my first violin soon, but this leaves me speechless !!!
Hi, thanks for your kind comment! Nice to hear that you start your first violin soon, good luck with making it! It will be a great and unforgetable journey for you. Please note that some of the methods shown on my channel are not the common way to build a modern violin... so please use a book such as "The Art of Violin Making" by Johnson & Courtnal.
Enjoy the making and happy 2023!
That neck joint reminds me of a Spanish method of attaching the sides of a (classical/flamenco) guitar to the base of neck, rather than attaching the neck to the body, which is still in fairly common use among luthiers handmaking guitars. Interesting to see it on a violin!
Yeah, you're right, Spanish guitars are still made like this! Violins no longer (-:
Thank you, merci beaucoup,very helpful,great skills taught.
Thank you Derrick, for your kind words, good to hear that the videos were of help. Kind regards from the Netherlands, Geerten
That is pretty damn cool. You have that violin in cad or some graphics program, printed out a template, and are making an exact copy, as close as is possible by hand. I watched the whole thing already (going backwards ... sorry). But, I'm really inspired. I don't think I could or would do it your way ... but, you never know. I'm too old, and just want a good sounding instrument. But, your work is inspiring to say the least. I'm just an amateur violinist (or musician, as I play a lot of instruments, and usually play bass when it comes to gigging - but was concert master of our local orchestra too - which is really saying I'm a bigger fish in a small pond ... heh heh ... ) and I've done a bunch of repairs and messed with building (inside mold). Time to retire from engineering, and start building some fiddles ...
Hi again Benny, good to hear you became inspired by the videos. Please pick up making again, and make some nice violins. You can do it! The learning curve is steep, so your second one will be way better than the first. As a musicians, you have a huge benefit for judging your creations. And yes, use a standard making method, not the one shown in my videos (-: That was for research purposes only! But I'm glad you enjoyed watching! Good luck and it was nice to read your comments. All best, Geerten
Just great. Thank you. Top marks for the sound recording too.
Thank you Ted, for your nice reply. Happy to hear that you enjoyed the videos and sound recordings! All best, Geerten
Your chisel skill is incredible!
Wow, thanks so much for this very kind comment, you made my day!
Now, this is a good video.
And that's a nice comment (-: Thank you Andrew, glad to hear you enjoyed the video!
Perhaps I'm not the target audience, but I've watched several other (presumably "modern") making a violin with hand tools videos.
And I'm a detail-oriented person.
BUT
This looks to me like "the normal" build process. If it isn't (and I *do* believe you), I need the odd comment or caption telling me what's different.
Perhaps there are deep-violin people watching this video and going "wow - that's a CRAZY old technique", but I bet they're few number.
Throw me an informational bone 😞
Hello Paul, thanks for your comment. Most current makers use a full inner mould, something now reffered to as the "Cremonese method". In my reconstruction process, no such mould is used. This radically changes the order of construction steps. For example, I start with making the back plate, building everything else up from there. In contrast, most modern makers, using a mould, start with the rib structure. Another aspect in the method I tried, is an upper block that is an integral part of the neck (see at 6:45 in the above video). You can guess... not something done by many modern luthiers, but quite a common feature in violins from the past.
Various other procedures are different, but it would go too far to explain here. Please look again to various YT videos on violin making, compare and try to spot the differences.
By the way, in the old days, many varying methods were used, no standardisation at all. I just tried out one of them (-:
PS: of course, many of the individual making procedures/steps are similar or corresponding between various making systems, the difference is often in order of the steps or certain details of execution...
where do you buy that saw and blades for sawing the scroll?
Hi,thanks for your comment, I bought the saw from DICTUM tools (Germany), and the saw is called Handiwork Microsaw. Purchased it a long time ago, not sure if they still sell the same model
Parabén pela. Arte belo trabalho practices violin Uma verdadeira Arte Brasil
Thank you so much Rubens Mariano Brasil! Happy to hear you enjoyed the video & happy Easter!
Very interesting videos, thanks a lot! May I ask how you get your tools so sharp? On all your videos, the sound of the tools cutting suggests they are exceptionally sharp and I wondered whether you use water stones or some other method.
Dear Nick, thank you for visiting my channel, and for you kind comment. Glad to hear you enjoyed the videos. I sharpen my tools rather often, sometimes daily in case of precise work. Normally for whetting, I use a Japanese water stone (grit 1000), followed by a Belgian water stone. This last one is a natural whetstone which has a very fine grit. In case the tool is really blunt or has small damage to the edge, I first sharpen on a slow-turning water-cooled grinder. Yes, the Scandinavian brand (-:
Very interesting video! Thanks for posting...
I'm violin maker Indy, mp
@@khemchandsharma8766 Hello, thanks for your comment. Nice to hear from a fellow-maker!
5:36 how to get that reference please
Hello Rhythm Studio, thanks for your comment. The neck thickness is measured in a CT scan from the original Boussu violin (dated 1750) that was being copied as part of the video series. The CT imaging software allows one to make reconstructions (for example 2D cross sections at any point) and the program also includes a measuring tool. So, basically, the screen you see at 5:36 shows a cross section of the neck, as in a construction plan, and measurements can be taken at any point. I hope this helps, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out and how to get such like this CT imaging
@@Rhythm.Studio Same as here:
www.thestrad.com/hospital-ct-scan-reveals-more-on-so-called-titanic-violin/2856.article
Michel 69009
belle ouvrage bravo
Merci beaucoup, Michel!